Essar: Stanlow oil refinery workers to strike over pay

Stanlow is one of the largest refineries in Europe supplying 16% of all road transport fuels

About 450 oil refinery workers are to strike at Stanlow oil refinery in a row over bonus payments, Unite has said.

The union said they include scaffolders, electricians, laggers, crane drivers, welders, pipe fitters, riggers and steel erectors.

A series of strikes will be held on 18, 25 and 26 July and 1, 2, 8 and 9 August, Unite said.

Owner Essar Oil UK said the striking employees were not Essar employees and were of various contractor companies.

The workers at the plant in Ellesmere Port are paid a regular bonus rate of 80p an hour, though the refinery made operating profits of £253m during the first half of the 2023 financial year, Unite said.

The union added wages have not kept pace with the cost of living.

General secretary Sharon Graham said: "Essar is absolutely awash with cash and its contractors at the refinery are on extremely lucrative contracts.

"It is completely unacceptable that these workers are being refused a reasonable bonus rate when there is clearly money to spare to pay them properly.

"Unite defends our members' jobs, pay and conditions to the hilt and Stanlow's workers have their union's total backing in taking strike action."

Stanlow is one of the largest refineries in Europe supplying 16% of all UK road transport fuels.